Truck drivers have tough jobs. They must constantly deal with traffic. They work long hours. They often have to lift and move heavy objects. They must deal with all types of drivers.
These factors and others contribute to the injuries truck drivers commonly suffer on the job. Let’s take a closer look at some of them:
- Loading and unloading injuries: Loading and unloading a truck can be a dangerous task. Truck drivers may be at risk for suffering back injuries and other serious injuries. Taking proper safety precautions can go a long way in protecting a truck driver, but many accidents are just that – accidents. They can occur even when all efforts are made to avoid them.
- Repetitive stress injuries: Many of the actions truck drivers are required to make as a part of their jobs are repetitive in nature: Steering the truck for hours a day, turning the neck and head, pressing gas and brake pedals with feet, sitting for hours at a time, etc. Over time, these actions can cause injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, head and neck injuries, back injuries, and other types of injuries.
- Injuries resulting from traffic accidents: Driving for hours a day definitely has its risks. Truck drivers can suffer all types of serious injuries in traffic accidents. Often, these accidents are not the result of the truck driver’s actions. According to OSHA, the unsafe actions of automobile drivers contribute to 70 percent of all fatal trucking accidents.
Truck drivers who are injured at work may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Injured truck drivers should learn about their legal options from a workers’ compensation attorney.
Free consultation: Talk to an attorney from Kampf, Schiavone & Associates if you have been injured in a workplace accident. Call 800-658-6851.
